If you don’t already know, the 8THIRTYFOUR team has two former journalists. But if you asked anyone in the journalism industry, they’d say it’s two people who went to the dark side.
Many view reporters and PR professionals as rivals, but my experience in both roles tells a different story. Each has unique challenges and definitions of success, and when approached thoughtfully, they can truly enhance one another. Embracing collaboration can lead to great outcomes for everyone involved!
I used to work as a reporter for the morning news. I would wake up bright and early at four in the morning, apply some makeup, and be live on TV for about four hours while still trying to wake up. Honestly, I’m not sure how I managed it or how I didn’t accidentally stumble over my words more often. In total, I spent two and a half years as a reporter at WLNS in Lansing and then WOODTV in Grand Rapids.
Now that I work in public relations, I help our clients shine by getting them great media coverage, all while working behind the scenes. It feels good to make a positive impact, whether I’m behind the camera or in front of the screen.
Communication is Key
To be successful in any role, you need to be a good communicator. During my time in the newsroom, I saw many journalists excel at communicating with the public, but that communication doesn’t necessarily transfer to other roles.
I was scared about looking like I didn’t know what I was doing. I felt like if I sent a text to my producer asking a simple question, they would think I wasn’t smart or worthy of my role. I think that stands for whatever industry you’re in when you’re starting out. In public relations, I am rewiring my brain to remember that it’s okay to ask for help, ask questions, and wait to send out that email, just to double-check one last time.
There have been many times when I jumped the gun because I wanted to be the first one to report something or reply to a client so they thought I was reliable and timely. Instead, I made a mistake because I didn’t communicate with my team about a simple solution or double-check one last fact.
While it seems like an easy thing to learn, communication needs to be prioritized every day to prevent mistakes from happening again and again.
A Different Kind of Time Management
I’ll never forget the one day I was sent to a house fire. We had no details, and I was set to be live on the noon show, talking about basically nothing. I had written a script and planned to just show the house behind me, describing what we could see. Two minutes before noon, we got an email from the police with details about what had happened. I had a minute to read through and organize my thoughts, and then I was live.
In news, you sometimes don’t have time to gather yourself, scroll through the details, and do intense research into your topics. While there are days in public relations when the clock is ticking, it’s not as frequent. I find that my heart rate is mostly steady, and I’m able to fit in a lunch from home instead of having to eat out all the time.
This schedule shift was the most drastic thing I had to adapt to. I learned to take a deep breath and prioritize what I was working on that day. Many people describe the shift from journalism to PR as “slow,” but I think it’s more about prioritizing.
In journalism, if you are on a daily beat, you are focused on your one story, and when you are done with it, you can focus on your story for tomorrow or the next day. At an agency in public relations, you could be juggling tasks from what could be 1-5 different clients. Sometimes the workload is even more than what I saw in the newsroom.
Learning how to prioritize what tasks can and cannot wait was a challenge for me, as I was used to getting everything done fast and on the same day.
Building Your Community
In just a short time here, 8THIRTYFOUR has encouraged me and my coworkers to get out into the community and be involved. I have found that I am meeting so many different people and learning so many new things about where I live and the organizations I belong to.
Another great thing about working in the news is getting to meet new people. Both paths allow you to have experiences you never could have imagined, like holding a mastodon bone in your hand or getting national coverage for clients for stories that matter.
It’s Not All Roses
While I absolutely adore my job at 8THIRTYFOUR (trust me, I’m not just saying that because Kim reads these), I don’t want this blog to sound like PR is right for everyone. There are hard days, and you will get a lot of no’s or reporters won’t get back to you on pitches you spent weeks on. That’s just part of the job. But when you get a client in a national publication, or you get to see your client live on TV, those no’s don’t sting as much anymore.
While there are parts of the newsroom I miss, mostly the coworkers, the skills you gain as a journalist can help you transition into many different fields — public relations is just one of many. The biggest tip I have for those looking to make that transition is to try and absorb everything you can and ask questions, take notes, and approach your job as if it’s a story. Then, when you have all the details laid out and you have more responsibilities, you will be prepared for whatever comes next.
